Washington (AFP)
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet hinted on Tuesday that he was a candidate for a day on the moon, while NASA wants to open its lunar program to non-Americans in the next decade.
"I personally had the chance to go into space once for 200 days aboard the International Space Station," said the astronaut of the European Space Agency (ESA), in a video message in English broadcast by the Arianespace boss during the International Astronautical Congress, which is held all week in Washington.
"But I have always dreamed of going further and deeper into space, and I really hope to do my part in this next stage of space exploration," said Thomas Pesquet.
The European Ariane rockets do not carry humans, and the return of astronauts to the Moon is organized by NASA, which launched the Artemis program, with a first mission inhabited in 2024.
The boss of the US space agency said that non-US astronauts could travel after this first mission, to negotiate according to the contributions of partner countries.
ESA chief Jan Wörner told AFP in Washington on Monday that the Europeans wanted to send an astronaut to the moon, perhaps around 2027 or 2028.
He did not want to say if Thomas Pesquet was among the favorite candidates.
The CEO of Arianespace, Stephane Israel, at the same time announced Tuesday that the next rocket of the group, Ariane 6, would offer transport of equipment to the moon from 2023.
Europeans could logistically participate in lunar missions.
And he reiterated that he wanted to convince European countries to develop an inhabited rocket program, aimed at a decision at the ESA ministerial meeting in 2022.
"I would like the next meeting to start working on manned flights," said Stéphane Israël.
"Imagine the excitement of seeing one day, soon, Ariane 6 on its launch, just minutes from takeoff, with the chef de mission announcing: Bon voyage Ariane 6, bon voyage Europe, let's light this candle and let's go on the Moon, "said Thomas Pesquet at the end of his message.
© 2019 AFP